


It was never a happily ever after

by ScribblesInTheMargins



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: 18OI AU Week (Yuri!!! on Ice), 18OI AU Week 2020: Day 1, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Mythology, Angst, Fairy Tale Elements, Fairy Tale Style, Hopeful Ending, M/M, soft angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-01
Updated: 2020-06-01
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:55:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,560
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24477565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScribblesInTheMargins/pseuds/ScribblesInTheMargins
Summary: Once upon a time, there lived a beautiful creature of the forest.  From his fingers spring blossoms fell in the morning, rich summer leaves at midday, and the succulent berries of autumn in the evening.  At night, his steps left frost in his wake, and snowflakes fluttered from his touch.  His name was Yuri, with messy blond hair and eyes of crystalline green.The problem with being beautiful was that people wanted you.  When you were a creature of ethereal charms such as Yuri, powerful people wanted you.  Thus, Winter claimed him for he was a creature of frost and ice.  Summer claimed him for he was the embodiment of the richness of the season.Once upon a time, the decision was made -- both parties had an equal claim, so Yuri would belong to both.It was never a happily ever after.
Relationships: Katsuki Yuuri/Yuri Plisetsky, Otabek Altin/Katsuki Yuuri, Otabek Altin/Yuri Plisetsky
Comments: 14
Kudos: 36
Collections: 18OI AU Week 2020





	It was never a happily ever after

**Author's Note:**

> This is Day one of the 18+ on ice Discord's AU event. [Server Link](https://discord.gg/TYMxcAB)
> 
> If you're new to my writing, I hope you like these little stories.
> 
> Comments and Kudos are always loved

Once upon a time, there lived a beautiful creature of the forest. From his fingers spring blossoms fell in the morning, rich summer leaves at midday, and the succulent berries of autumn in the evening. At night, his steps left frost in his wake, and snowflakes fluttered from his touch. His name was Yuri, with messy blond hair and eyes of crystalline green.

The problem with being beautiful was that people wanted you. When you were a creature of ethereal charms such as Yuri, powerful people wanted you. Thus, Winter claimed him for he was a creature of frost and ice. Summer claimed him for he was the embodiment of the richness of the season.

Once upon a time, the decision was made -- both parties had an equal claim, so Yuri would belong to both. 

It was never a happily ever after.

* * *

It was the darkest part of winter. The Sun hardly showed her face even high up on the mountain. Everything was covered in snow, a thick blanket of silence, making it seem as if you were alone in the universe. Yuri sat on a rock outcropping, alone … but not for long. 

As the sun rose in the distance, Yuri felt a presence behind him. A shiver ran down his spine. The cold hand which reached out to brush the hair from his shoulder was gentle, belying the strength it held. He looked back, smiling as he saw Otabek in his human form. 

A thick fur was draped over Yuri's shoulders, concern in those dark brown eyes. Even the embodiment of winter knew his love needed warmth. "Do you want me to braid your hair?" 

It didn't matter to Yuri if his hair was braided or not. It mattered to Otabek, this sign of softness one of the many that marked his months with the man. Yuri nodded, offering up his hand as the morning sun touched his flesh, delicate spring blossoms falling from his fingers in the early light.

The flowers wouldn't last long for it was winter in Winter's kingdom. For the moment though, Otabek's cold hands braided the delicate flowers into Yuri's hair until the young beauty was adorned with a flower crown more beautiful than any made of metal and mortal hands. "You look beautiful."

Yuri tried to smile. His eyes closed as Otabek leaned in. He let the scent of spring flowers wash over him. He felt Otabek relax, those cold arms pulling him in tighter as the embodiment of winter buried his head in Yuri's freshly braided hair and let the scent of spring wash over him. It wouldn't last long. Already Otabek's very presence had cooled the air even more, the thick fur hardly enough to keep the chill of winter at bay. The flowers would freeze soon, but until then, every moment with them was cherished.

Once upon a time, Yuri thought he was the one that Otabek loved so much. He thought the gentleness and the adoration were for him -- but now Yuri knew better. Otabek was never cruel, and Yuri would even be willing to bet that Otabek thought that he loved Yuri. However, as Yuri lifted his fingers, he watched as spring blossoms fell over where Otabek's arms held him, Yuri knew differently.

* * *

In the summer, the nights were short and the days long. The embodiment of summer was named Yuuri, and in so many ways he was the opposite of Otabek and winter, but in some, he was so very much the same. 

The stars were bright in the sky as the waves crashed gently. Water rolled in, wetting the sand before being washed back out to sea. It was a beautiful night, and Yuri was walking hand in hand with Yuuri. They were barefoot, perfect footprints left by Yuuri, but Yuri's own tracks never were able to leave their mark. Instead, each footfall left a patch of ice, glistening in the moonlight, that kept Yuri from feeling his toes sink into the still-warm sand.

Yuuri's grasp was so warm as he held onto Yuri's ice-cold hand. It was night, and snowflakes fell from Yuri's finger, littering the beach with a temporary glitter until they succumbed to the summer heat. As Yuuri smiled, warmth radiated from him, and adoration filled his voice as he looked to Yuri. "You are so beautiful."

Even as Yuri shook his head at the compliment, a dusting of frost fell, caught by the summer breeze to flutter through the air between them.

"Dance with me?" Yuuri's smile was near infectious as he took Yuri's hands and pulled the man close.

He couldn't help but smile in return, spinning around in Yuuri's arms as they moved from sand to water. As Yuri's feet touched the sea, it froze over, a beautiful sheen of ice as he danced with Summer beneath the night stars.

Snowflakes swirled and frost glistened in the summer air; in this little corner of the night where Yuri danced as ice and snow sparkled amidst Summer's fireflies.

Once upon a time, he had believed that Yuuri loved him enough to fight other immortals to win him -- but now he knew better. He reached a hand up, his frost-covered fingers bringing a cold frostnip to the cheek of Summer. He was positive Yuuri thought he loved him, even as icy tears ran from his eyes, kissed away by Summer's touch.

* * *

Every solstice, Yuri was handed off from Otabek to Yuuri and then from Yuuri to Otabek. Season after season, his summers with Yuuri and his winters with Otabek. He was never mistreated, never anything but near worshipped by the two. He noticed things though. Maybe if he didn't notice things then he could have continued like this and been happy. Most beings were lucky to find this type of care, but Yuri was a creature of all seasons -- maybe that made him want more, made him greedy or selfish -- or selfless?

As the sun rose on the day of the Spring Equinox, the same as every other year, Yuri packed his bag of things and walked with Otabek down from the mountain towards the sea. This time, he took a different path, his hand reaching out to lead Winter along -- even as spring blossoms fell from every touch.

Halfway between mountain and sea, stretched a lush field. Spring flowers with butterflies and bees surrounded a pond, and it was towards this pond that Yuri led Otabek. As noon approached, the flowers from Yuri's hands turned to leaves but Otabek's presence was enough to allow them to walk to the center of the pond, suspended by a thin sheen of ice brought forth by winter's presence.

As the summer leaves fell from Yuri's hands, he looked to the edge of the meadow to see Yuuri appear. Still with Otabek's hand in his, Yuri watched as Yuuri walked through the field of flowers. It was midday; Otabek should not be here. Even as Otabek tried to pull away, Yuri held onto his hand, "If you leave me, the ice will melt and I will fall into the water."

The words stopped Otabek from retreating. Instead, his eyes moved from Yuri to Yuuri, watching as Summer approached them. As soon as Otabek laid his eyes on Yuuri, he couldn't look away. As the meadow shivered with a summer breeze and the flowers turned to follow the new arrival, Otabek could only watch in stunned awe.

Yuuri paused at the edge of the water, glancing down to where the ice met the dirt before he stepped onto the delicate surface. The summer breeze intensifying, now with snow in it from Otebek's nearby presence Yuuri reached the two, taking Yuri's free hand into his, "This has been settled. Yuri is mine for the summer -- why are you still here?" Even with Yuri in hand, Yuuri could not pull his eyes from Otabek. The sharpness of the chill, the beauty of the snow, the soft clouding of his breath with every word -- it left him captivated as he watched Winter.

Yuri stood there for a second. His decision had been cemented the moment they had all stood in the same meadow. His hands moved together until he could place Yuuri's hand into Otabek's. As Summer and Winter touched, both of them gasped, unable to look away from the other.

Yuri reached up to pull the flowers from his own hair, braiding them with deft fingers before wrapping the flower garland around the clasped hands in front of him. Hands fastened together with delicate blossoms, Yuri looked up at both men. They weren't looking at him, but he had learned long ago that it wasn't him that either of them actually wanted.

Yuri turned, leaving Summer and Winter bound together with little more than a string of flowers -- but it was so much more than that. As Yuri reached the edge of the meadow, he turned back for a moment, just long enough to see the two figures in the middle of the pond as they leaned into each other to kiss. They had never loved him; it had always been each other.

From that day, Summer and Winter lived together. As one half of the world was in winter, the other half was in summer, a never-ending dance between the two lovers that encompassed the entire world.

**Author's Note:**

> If you are looking for me on Social Media:
> 
> Twitter = <https://twitter.com/ScribblesITM>
> 
> Tumbr = <https://scribblesinthemargins.tumblr.com/>


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